How Much Alcohol Is Safe?

Whether you drink for the anti-oxidants or for a good time, it might be time to rethink that glass of alcohol. 

Alcohol consumption in America is not uncommon––according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 86.3 percent of people 18 years of age or older surveyed in 2017 said they had consumed alcohol during their lifetime; 70.1 percent said they had consumed alcohol that year; 55.9 percent said they had consumed alcohol that month; and 26.4 percent reported binge drinking in the past month. Alcohol is safe but how much should you consume – or should you at all?

Furthermore, it is reported in the Washington Post that the top 10 percent of imbibers in America consume an average of 74 drinks per week, which is an average of over 10 drinks per day, equating to either 4.5 750ml bottles of hard liquor, 18 bottles of wine or 3 24-pack cases of beer. 

People in America like to drink. 

Its no secret why alcohol is so popular––its effects include relaxation and lowered inhibitions, making it an attractive way to unwind. And while alcohol is known to be addictive and destructive for health in many ways, the official recommendations still place the “healthy” amount at 1 drink per day for women and 2 for men. 

There are, perhaps, some issues with this. Some studies suggest that alcohol use, regardless of kind or amount, raise the risk of breast cancer in women, which would logically lead us to believe that there is technically no safe amount. But there are some other things about alcohol that should be equally as concerning. 

Alcohol is the byproduct of yeast converting sugar into ethanol. Because alcohol is made by fungi and because enough of it can kill you (making it a toxin), alcohol can be considered a mycotoxin, or fungal poison. Of course, mycotoxins are associated with a number of deleterious health effects. 

Furthermore, it is worth looking at the kinds of products used to make alcohol, such as grains, corn potatoes and other kinds of produce. Often, these, themselves, are contaminated with mold and mold poisons––to the extent that they are unfit for human consumption. Yet, they are still used to make alcoholic beverages. 

With these things in mind, it is no wonder that alcohol is linked to such a wide variety of health problems. Not only are you consuming alcohol––a mycotoxin with known negative health effects––but you are also consuming the poisons that contaminate the foods used to make alcohol. 

So, how much alcohol is safe? Is 1-2 drinks per day really ok if you want to enjoy great health? If you are on The Kaufmann Diet, it is recommended to remove all alcohol from your diet. The risks simply are not worth the purported benefit. 

You might find that when you remove alcohol from your diet entirely, some health symptoms you had been struggling with for a long time begin to clear up, and you feel much better than you did before. In conjunction with an anti-fungal diet such as The Kaufmann Diet, you might find your health restored to an even greater level. 

If you are concerned with the affects of Alcohol; please read this article: 5 Harmful Effects of Alcohol